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Fake Fiancee by Ilsa Madden-Mills

I got an ARC of Fake Fiancée on Wednesday and I’m not going to lie—I was nervous about having it read in time, given my other obligations. In hindsight, I needn’t have worried, because once I sat down to read it, I. Couldn’t. Stop.

Fake Fiancée is the story of Max + Sunny. Max is the star quarterback of their university and the number one ranked quarterback in the country. He’s sexy, smart, kind and funny. The full package, perhaps except for his unwavering focus on football and putting everything else behind it. Not that I would ever fault someone for pursuing their dreams and for having laser focus to achieve those goals, but it doesn’t always make for the best partner.

Sunny is smart, tenacious, down to earth and real. She’s also had a difficult upbringing. When she finds herself as Max’s neighbor and at his front door with a complaint, it isn’t difficult to see that they have an instant connection. How they find their way to the fake engagement mentioned in the title, I’ll leave for you to discover for yourself.

Those are the basics, so let’s get away from that. Here’s what I loved: I loved the gentle dance between these two. I loved that every word, every character and every scene was so expertly written that I felt as though I was in the middle of a movie, with everything playing out before me. I loved that these characters stayed true to themselves, yet were strong enough to say when they got it wrong. I loved how every character spinning around in their world gave us a small glimpse into who these two were. And I love when I find a book that is a great experience from start to finish—something that makes me smile and laugh and makes me happy that it found its way into my life.

If I had one gripe, it would be that the title Fake Fiancée doesn’t give you even an inkling of how enjoyable this book will be. I’ve read books with a similar premise and I can tell you that this one blows all of those out of the water. Jump in and enjoy! I know you will!